New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon told Yahoo! Sports he will be out 4-6 weeks before he can return from a lingering knee injury.

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Eric Gordon is relieved he will only miss 4-6 weeks. (Reuters)

Bracing for bad news, Gordon was pleased to get that non-surgical prognosis from a doctor he visited in Chicago on Thursday. He said he will "grind" in his knee strengthening and rehabilitation exercises to ensure his return to the court in the time frame.

Gordon had arthroscopic right knee surgery on Feb. 14 and played in only nine games of the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season. The Hornets matched a five-year, $58 million contract offer sheet he signed with the Phoenix Suns during the offseason to keep him in New Orleans.

"The doctor could tell I was going through a lot of pain," Gordon said. "But I know I can strengthen it during the four- to six-week time period and return. This was a big break. I've been dealing with this injury for a year. To hear that news was good to me because I thought it would be possibly worse."

Gordon, who missed all of the preseason, felt compelled Thursday to squash any talk that his injury wasn't legitimate and he wasn't happy to be in New Orleans after the Hornets matched the Suns' offer sheet this past summer.